The last week has been a busy time for BU’s Learning Excellence Acceleration Programme, LEAP with a drop-in session and workshops for the History Department and Wiltshire College.

One member of staff used the drop-in session to work on a unit for which she is the unit lead.  This involved setting out the structure of the unit as a prelude to layering on the learning types, activities and assessments that will comprise this new unit.  This was an excellent way to give consideration to the unit structure and to ensure alignment between structure and the unit’s ILOs.

This member of staff commented: “A brilliant way of visualising your unit from different perspectives and priorities!! Thank you :)”

Shelley Thompson has been in attendance at these sessions and has continued to provide excellent advice and guidance for staff on the new assessment policy, 6C, and also on different ways in which staff can assess students and provide feedback.  Shelley’s 50 ways to assess students is quickly expanding and already needs a new name!   The breadth of Shelley’s experience in this area is proving to be a real strength in the LEAP process.

One of Shelley’s recent developments is an ‘at a glance’ sheet of assessment methods which categorises the available methods into the four areas of writing, speaking, making and doing that are used throughout the assessment layer in LEAP.

(This picture also reminds me not to bring glitter pens to future LEAP workshops!)

Four staff, Kieran, Patrick, Rebecca and Andrew, from Wiltshire College attended a LEAP session this afternoon.  This was in preparation for the revalidation of their media units.

Their feedback included:

• “A very productive session.  Enabled the team to think about delivery of the course ie assessment in a more holistic way rather than limiting focus to individual units.”

• “Useful way of reviewing our inits in terms of assessment variety.  The team were productive in tweaking and refining existing units and the elements that they comprise.”

If you are interested in attending a future LEAP drop-in session, please look out for advertisement on the CEL blog.  If you would like to arrange a session for your team or department, please contact David Biggins.